Patent assignee vs patent applicant

“What to do if you find yourself stuck in a crack in the ground underneath a giant boulder you can't move, with no hope of rescue. Consider how lucky you are that life has been good to you so far. Alternatively, if life hasn't been good to you so far, which given your current circumstances seems more likely, consider how lucky you are that it won't be troubling you much longer.” -- Douglas Adams (British comic Writer, 1952-2001)

TODAY’S TIP: For the most current U.S. patent information, search the APPLICANT field

To illustrate, the following table lists a number of patents applied for by UOP, searching the USPTO database (http://appft.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html ) for UOP in the Assignee field.

The table below this first table lists a number of patents applied for by UOP, searching the USPTO database for UOP in the Applicant field.

You can see by the patent applications numbers that there is a big date difference between the two tables.  The results in the second table are far more current than those in the first.

Try this technique on your favorite company and see what happens.

USPTO Search Results for UOP in the Assignee Field

1	20150344382	SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HYDROGEN SELF-SUFFICIENT PRODUCTION OF RENEWABLE HYDROCARBONS
2	20150343435	SHAPED ARTICLES FOR NUCLEAR REMEDIATION AND METHODS FOR FORMING SUCH SHAPED ARTICLES
3	20150330711	SECONDARY WASH AT DISCHARGE DRUM
4	20150329446	TWO STAGE CONTACT COOLER
5	20150329442	RECOVERY OPTIONS FOR n-BUTANE DEHYDROGENATION FOR ON-PURPOSE BUTADIENE PRODUCTION
6	20150328594	POLYIMIDE MEMBRANES WITH VERY HIGH SEPARATION PERFORMANCE FOR OLEFIN/PARAFFIN SEPARATIONS
7	20150322355	APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR CRACKING HYDROCARBONS
8	20150322353	CONTAMINANT REMOVAL FROM HYDROCARBON STREAMS WITH LACTAMIUM BASED IONIC LIQUIDS
9	20150322017	SYNTHESIS OF N-DERIVATIZED LACTAM BASED IONIC LIQUID
10	20150322016	SYNTHESIS OF LACTAM BASED IONIC LIQUID

USPTO Search Results for UOP in the Applicant Field

1	20160137934	FLEXIBLE OPERATION OF OLIGOMERIZATION PROCESS
2	20160137932	METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR PRODUCING HYDROCARBONS
3	20160137930	SLURRY HYDROCRACKING PROCESS USING SPENT HYDROPROCESSING CATALYST
4	20160130512	HYDROCARBON PROCESSING APPARATUSES AND METHODS OF REFINING HYDROCARBONS WITH ABSORPTIVE RECOVERY OF C3+ HYDROCARBONS
5	20160130511	PROCESSES FOR RECOVERING HYDROCARBONS FROM A DRAG STREAM FROM A SLURRY HYDROCRACKER
6	20160130506	PROCESSES FOR PRODUCING DEASHED PITCH
7	20160130196	HIGHLY SELECTIVE ALKYLATION PROCESS WITH LOW ZEOLITE CATALYST COMPOSITION
8	20160129413	FLUID CATALYTIC CRACKING APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR CRACKING HYDROCARBONS
9	20160122664	PROCESSES FOR MAXIMIZING HIGH QUALITY DISTILLATE
10	20160122663	INTEGRATED HYDROTREATING AND SLURRY HYDROCRACKING PROCESS
11	20160122294	METHODS FOR CO-PRODUCTION OF ALKYLBENZENE AND AN OLEOCHEMICAL FROM NATURAL OILS
12	20160116156	METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR POWER RECOVERY IN FLUID CATALYTIC CRACKING SYSTEMS
13	20160115409	PROCESSES AND SYSTEMS FOR REFINING FUEL GAS
14	20160115404	PROCESS FOR CONVERTING A VACUUM TOWER BOTTOMS STREAM
15	20160115400	INTEGRATED HYDROTREATING AND SLURRY HYDROCRACKING PROCESS
16	20160115399	PROCESS FOR HYDROTREATING A HYDROCARBONS STREAM
17	20160115394	SEPARATOR VESSEL AND PROCESS OF USING SAME
18	20160115393	PROCESSES AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING TREATED GASOLINE RANGE HYDROCARBONS FROM SPENT ALKALI SOLUTION
19	20160115392	PROCESS FOR INCREASING A DIESEL RECOVERY FROM A FRACTIONATION COLUMN
20	20160115101	METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR REFORMING OF HYDROCARBONS INCLUDING RECOVERY OF PRODUCTS USING MIXING DEVICES
21	20160115100	METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR REFORMING OF HYDROCARBONS INCLUDING RECOVERY OF PRODUCTS USING AN ABSORPTION ZONE AND A PRESSURE SWING ADSORPTION ZONE
22	20160115099	METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR REFORMING OF HYDROCARBONS INCLUDING RECOVERY OF PRODUCTS USING A RECOVERY ZONE, A PRESSURE SWING ADSORPTION ZONE, AND A MEMBRANE SEPARATION ZONE
23	20160115098	METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR REFORMING OF HYDROCARBONS INCLUDING RECOVERY OF PRODUCTS USING AN ABSORPTION ZONE
24	20160115097	METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR REFORMING OF HYDROCARBONS INCLUDING RECOVERY OF PRODUCTS USING A RECOVERY ZONE AND A PRESSURE SWING ADSORPTION ZONE
25	20160115096	METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR REFORMING OF HYDROCARBONS INCLUDING RECOVERY OF PRODUCTS USING A RECONTACTING ZONE
26	20160115029	HELIUM RECOVERY PROCESS AND APPARATUS
27	20160115024	METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR REFORMING OF HYDROCARBONS INCLUDING RECOVERY OF PRODUCTS USING A RECOVERY ZONE, AN ABSORPTION ZONE AND A PRESSURE SWING ADSORPTION ZONE
28	20160115023	RECOVERY OF HYDROGEN FROM FRACTIONATION ZONE OFFGAS
29	20160114316	CATALYST REGENERATING METHODS AND APPARATUSES AND METHODS OF INHIBITING CORROSION IN CATALYST REGENERATING APPARATUSES
30	20160108326	CLOUD POINT IMPROVEMENT FOR PARTIAL CONVERSION HYDROCRACKING UNITS
31	20160108325	PROCESS FOR HYDROTREATING A COKER KEROSENE STREAM TO PROVIDE A FEED STREAM FOR A PARAFFIN SEPARATION ZONE
32	20160102258	PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR SELECTIVELY HYDROGENATING NAPHTHA
33	20160102257	METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBONS FROM FLUID CATALYTIC CRACKING SLURRY
34	20160102256	METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR SELECTIVE HYDROGENATION OF OLEFINS
35	20160101404	PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR SELECTIVELY HYDROGENATING NAPHTHA
36	20160096782	METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR PROCESSING BIO-DERIVED NORMAL NONANE
37	20160090608	METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR TREATING BIOMASS
38	20160090539	FCC UNITS, APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING PYROLYSIS OIL AND HYDROCARBON STREAMS
39	20160090538	APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR FLUID CATALYTIC CRACKING WITH LIMITED PARTICULATE EMISSIONS
40	20160090341	METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR TREATING AN ORGANIC FEED
41	20160090340	METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR TREATING AN ORGANIC FEED
42	20160090338	METHODS FOR PRODUCING ALKYLAROMATICS
43	20160090337	PARAFFIN DEHYDROGENATION WITH OXIDATIVE REHEAT
44	20160090336	REMOVAL OF AROMATIC CONTAMINANTS IN OLEFIN STREAM FROM PARAFFIN DEHYDROGENATION
45	20160090335	METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR HYDROCARBON PRODUCTION
46	20160090333	METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING JET-RANGE HYDROCARBONS
47	20160089640	ASYMMETRIC INTEGRALLY-SKINNED FLAT SHEET MEMBRANES FOR H2 PURIFICATION AND NATURAL GAS UPGRADING
48	20160089639	HIGH PERMEABILITY POLYIMIDE MEMBRANES: GAS SELECTIVITY ENHANCEMENT THROUGH UV TREATMENT
49	20160089634	POLYIMIDE BLEND MEMBRANES FOR GAS SEPARATIONS
50	20160089629	ASYMMETRIC INTEGRALLY-SKINNED FLAT SHEET MEMBRANES FOR H2 PURIFICATION AND NATURAL GAS UPGRADING